#past unrequited adrienette

[verfound]

FIC: "Love is a Star" (MLB; Lukanette; LBSC Lukanette Month 2024)

@lovebugs-and-snakecharmers is doing a Lukanette Month for September 2024, and we all just kinda tossed some prompts in the disco to compile a list?  We ended up with 71 prompts, so I decided I’d roll some dice to pick a prompt, do a twenty minute (ish, bc we all know sometimes they run away from me) sprint, and try to get some short fics out this month?

Read on Ao3

04 September 2024

Prompt 32: Stars (B)

“Have you ever heard of hanahaki?”

He turned his head, looking away from the expanse of stars stretching out above them.  They’d had to drive nearly two hours out of the city to find this spot, but lying there now, looking up at the night sky stretching out above them, he thought it was worth it.

That might have just been the company, though.

A lot of things felt worth it when Marinette was with him.

“Hanahaki?” he asked, frowning as he considered her question.  “That’s the flower thing, right?”

“Yeah,” she said, tapping her fingers against her stomach.  “Kagami was telling me about it.  It’s like…when you can’t confess your love to someone.  Or if it’s unreturned.  Something like that.  Flowers grow in your lungs and suffocate you.”

“Sounds awful,” he said.  She was still staring at the sky, but he was still watching her.  He had the better view anyway, he couldn’t help but think.  “What brought that up?”

“It was in that new book she’s reading,” she said, shrugging a little.  “You know how I’m always late.  She’s started bringing books while she waits on our juice dates.”

He grinned at that.  They hadn’t been drinking juice during their meetups for a while now.

“I dunno,” she said, shrugging a little.  “It just kinda…stuck with me.  The thought that telling someone you love them could be so paralyzing you just…choke to death.  I’ve just been thinking about it lately, I guess.”

He frowned.

“…you’ve been thinking about suffocating on flowers?” he asked.  She giggled and reached over, blindly swatting at his shoulder.  She missed, hitting his ribs instead, and he moved an arm from behind his head to find her hand.  He smiled once their fingers were linked.  “We have a zillion beautiful stars up there to distract us, and you’re here thinking such morbid thoughts.  If I had wanted to hang out with someone so grim, I would have stayed home or invited Juleka.”

“Jerk,” she laughed, squeezing his hand.  “No, it’s just…I don’t know.  It’s not necessarily the choking on flowers part, but…huh.  I wonder if it’s always flowers?”

He frowned, waiting for her to continue.  She sighed and shrugged, a little awkwardly since they were still lying down.

“Like…I don’t know.  What if you choked on stars?  What if your love turned into a light, so warm and bright inside you you just…couldn’t contain it?  And then it just had to get out, but you’re a hopeless disaster that could never tell the boy you liked you were so nuts about him?” she asked.  She finally turned away from the stars.  Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him.  “I wonder what would hurt more: thorns scratching as they came out or stars burning?  I mean, you’d be dead either way, but I wonder which is worse.”

There was a haunted, distracted look to her face – one that reminded him of days long past filled with plots and schemes and too many tears.  It didn’t sit right with him – it never really had.

“…thank God it’s not real and the answer is neither,” he said, his voice soft.  She rolled her eyes and looked back at the sky.

“Seriously,” she said, huffing out a little laugh.  “I bet I’d have it, if it was.  I’d be dead by sunrise”

“No, you wouldn’t,” he said, his voice firmer.  “Don’t say that.”

“Why not?  It’s true,” she said.  She sighed and closed her eyes, her smile turning bittersweet.  “You remember Adrien.”

Of course he did.

“…yeah,” he sighed.  It was hard to forget, some days.  She’d been in love with Adrien for most of the time he’d known her.  He finally looked back at the stars, unable to look at her any longer.  “No offense, Mari, but…I kind of hated him, in the end.”

She frowned, and he knew she had misunderstood.

“He had nothing to do with –” she started, but he shook his head and squeezed her hand again.

“I didn’t care about the Hawkmoth stuff,” he said.  “I know how hard that was on him.  I meant because of you.  I never understood how someone could be so…calloused with another person’s heart.  You deserved better, Marinette.”

“It was all for the best, in the end,” she said.  “Kagami saw him not so long ago.  He’s happy in London.  And it’s been a long time since I would’ve choked on anything for him.”

She closed her eyes, sighing, and he wondered at the little inflection of her voice.  The emphasis she had put on the ‘him’.  He wondered who she would choke for, if not Adrien Agreste.

“No, it’s just…I don’t know.  I just wonder sometimes…” she said, shrugging again.  “Am I just doomed to never be able to tell the people I care about how much I love them, and isn’t that the root of hanahaki?  I’d choke to death in under a week, all because I’m a coward.”

Bullshit, he couldn’t help but think.  She was anything but.  He pushed himself up on his elbows and leaned towards her, his brow pinched.

“…you’d tell me,” he said, his voice firm.  She opened her eyes and looked at him, and they widened just the slightest when she saw him leaning over her.  “You would tell me if you loved me, right?  You wouldn’t put yourself at risk like that.  Especially since you know that’s all I’ve ever wanted to tell you.”

“…I…” she started, but then his hand was on her cheek and his thumb brushed beneath her eye.

“Marinette, promise me,” he said.  “Because there’s no way in hell I wouldn’t return it.  And there’s no way in hell I’d just sit back and watch you die because…God, Marinette.  You wouldn’t do that to me.  Right?”

“…I thought hanahaki wasn’t real,” she said, her voice quiet.  “So why would it matter?”

“It matters,” he said.  “Your feelings always matter.”

She swallowed.  The stars suddenly didn’t seem as interesting anymore, which was kind of a shame.  Luka had put so much work into this trip for her, wanting to get her out of the city so she could finally relax.  You couldn’t see stars like this in Paris, and she was so busy staring at his stupid face she was missing the whole thing.

…she didn’t really mind.  She was pretty sure she had the better view, anyway.

“…of course I’d tell you,” she said softly.  “I’d try, at least.”

“There’s no try, Marinette,” he said.  Her lips twitched with a smile.

“Only do or do not?” she asked, and he rolled his eyes as he chuckled.

“You’d tell me,” he said, ignoring her joke.  “Promise me, Marinette.  Promise me you’d tell me.”

“I’d tell you,” she said.  He sighed, his body seeming to sag with relief, and he nodded.  She swallowed, a pleasant thrumming running through her as she studied his profile in the darkness.  “…hey, Luka?”

“Yeah?” he asked, opening his eyes, and something about the way they glittered in the starlight was making her dizzy.  She reached for his hand again, then seemed to think better of it and reached up to tuck some of his hair behind his ear.  He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, his smile growing.

“I love you,” she said.  Her breath caught as he turned his head and kissed her palm.  She lost it entirely when he opened his eyes to smile down at her.

“…I love you, too, Marinette.”

[ao3feed-ladynoir]

At the Altar

At the Altar by akode

“Before you go, Bug, I might be delayed if Hawk Moth decides to send out an akuma this weekend. I'll be attending a friend's wedding and it could take some time to get away.”

Ladybug looked at him strangely for a few moments. “I have a wedding to attend as well,” she said carefully. “Wouldn't it be weird if we were going to the same wedding? We could both be guests and not even know it!” Even as he said it he knew it was impossible.

“I doubt it. Mine is a small wedding, they're all close friends I have known for years.”

“Mine too. But it would still be funny.” Or ironically cruel, if the suspicions he once held about Ladybug's identity hadn't been proven wrong during Kwamibuster all those years ago. He turned to face her. “I might actually be grateful for an akuma. I'd rather face ten of them than watch the girl I love marry someone else,” Adrien said, an edge of bitterness infecting his tone.

Words: 2557, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Altar

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, Gen

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine, Tom Dupain, Sabine Cheng, Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe, Gabriel Agreste, Kagami Tsurugi, Mylène Haprèle, Alix Kubdel, Background & Cameo Characters

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Sabine Cheng & Tom Dupain, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Tom Dupain, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Sabine Cheng, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste, Minor or Background Relationship(s)

Additional Tags: Identity Reveal, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, one-sided identity reveal, Partial Identity Reveal, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Reverse Crush, Unrequited Love, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Love Confessions, unknowing confession, Love Declarations, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Finds Out First, Good Parent Tom Dupain, Good Parent Sabine Cheng, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Good Friend Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Protective Alya Césaire, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alya Cesaire Does Not Know, Luka Couffaine does not know, Engagement, Wedding, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, adrienette, Lukanette, LadyNoir, past adrigami, Emotional Infidelity, Background DJWifi, Background Myvan, background Julerose, Luka Couffaine Needs a Hug, Swearing, Mild Sexual Content, Innuendo, Unreliable Narrator, Blanket Permission, Podfic Welcome, Fanart Welcome

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45511534

[mikauzoran]

The Ascendancy of The Plan ™ (re: Mikau’s WIPs)

So, I feel like I’ve gotten a lot accomplished in the past few months since I last did one of these status updates. Most of the stories I ended up writing were much longer than anticipated, and I’ve had a lot of ideas just pop into my head that I hadn’t originally been planning, so this list isn’t going to look very different from the last one, but I promise that I have accomplished things, and there are some new projects in the works. ^.^;

I’m currently posting the final chapters of Among the Wild Things and Betting Against the House. Below is a list of works I have planned for the coming months. Let me know what sounds interesting or what you’re excited for.

Anhedonia: When Adrien Met Marinette: (Adrienette, post-reveal/pre-relationship, roommates) So, I’m taking a screenplay writing class, and we’re studying the scripts of several movies to get a feel for how the writer evokes different cognitive responses from the audience. One of the movies is When Harry Met Sally. I’ve never seen this movie, but apparently it’s about two friends finally ending up together after some trials and tribulations. It’s about never giving up on finding love and happiness...only I’m feeling depressed at the moment, and I don’t want to hear about true love because I’m lonely and despair of ever finding someone to share a life with. So I’m using my feelings to write a story. ^.^ Naturally. XD

It’s post-reveal/pre-relationship Adrienette. They’re roommates, and there’s been a misunderstanding because Marinette didn’t tell Adrien how she felt about him after she found out he was Chat Noir, and he’s told her that he’s over her because he thinks that the only way to preserve their friendship (since she’s already turned down his advances as Ladybug, so, obviously, she wouldn’t want him as Marinette either). It has a happy ending, and they straighten things out because I still believe in finding true love and happiness. XD I’m a sap like that, and these two deserve happiness.

Ladrien Present: (Adrienette, Ladrien) I’m still trying to write a story where Ladybug brings Adrien’s birthday party to him. ^.^; I have half of it written (the Adrienette half), and I have an outline for the rest. I just...need to sit down and make myself write it. I’ve seriously been procrastinating on this one. I don’t know what my deal is. -.-;

Marichat Prompt: This is an overflow prompt I received as part of my Productive Procrastination Prompt Giveaway. It’s about Chat Noir visiting Marinette and it somehow coming up in conversation that Marinette has always thought of Chat as a player. For some reason, this makes Chat really angry because he can’t stand her in particular thinking that about him. I thought this story out a couple months ago, but I didn’t write it down, so now I’ve forgotten, and I’m going to have to think up the plot all over again. XD

Alyadrino Prompt: Someone sent me an Ask that said, “Snuggle party makes me imagine what if nino and alya accidentally did to adrien what luka and marinette intentionally did to him in shades 12″, and I thought, “…Oh, all right. Why not?” I had a basic outline of what I wanted to do with this story a couple months ago, but I didn’t write it down, so now I have to figure it out all over again. Oh, well. I have the basic idea, I think.

Lukadrigaminette: At the beginning of the month, I thought, “I should do Valentine’s Day stories!” I ended up writing a Marichat one, and then I had this idea. It’s not Valentine’s Day related, so I decided to shelve it for later. So, several years ago, my friend and I concocted this scheme to bake for our respective crushes and win their hearts that way. It’s a really fond memory for me, and I’m turning it into a Lukadrigaminette story. Luka and Kagami join forces to bake for Adrien and Marinette in order to win their love.

Plagg and Wayzz Prompt: I got a comment on one of my stories that said, “Can you do a top wayzz bottom plagg one? Preferably in universe and in human form. Doesn’t have to be smut.” First I thought, “What the bloody hell?” because it was a comment on a Lukadrien story, and that’s all it said, and I thought, “Well, that’s random.” I’ve never really written Wayzz before, but this gave me the idea for a story where the team is up against an akuma that somehow separates them from their kwamis, leaving the heroes unable to detransform and the kwamis in defenseless human form. What I came up with really doesn’t have anything to do with the prompt other than Plagg and Wayzz will both be in human form. It will probably just end up being a Lady Noir identity reveal piece, honestly.

Supportive Adrien Lukadrien One-Shot(?): I haven’t actually pinned this story down well yet. ^.^; I was just thinking that I wanted to write something where Adrien is the one supporting and encouraging Luka, since I typically write Luka being a supportive presence for Adrien. I was thinking that the scenario could be that Luka is feeling down because Marinette still loves Adrien and things aren’t going well between Marinette and Luka, so Adrien takes Luka on an outing and confesses his love and they live happily ever after or something.

The only thing is that a different scenario is trying to creep into this story. It’s really weird. It’s post-Papillon defeat, and Adrien is twenty-four (Luka is twenty-six). He’s been in kind of rough shape the past few years since his father was arrested and he lost his family and home and fortune. He couldn’t finish university, and he’s been travelling around, trying to find work and make a life for himself. He ends up back in Paris, broke, and auditions for a band because he happened to see a flyer advertising for a new lead vocalist. It just so happens that it’s Luka’s band, and Luka ends up finding out about Adrien’s situation and taking him in and feeding him...but that scenario is just more Luka taking care of Adrien, and that’s not what I wanted to write. XD It also feels like multiple chapters, and I don’t want to go there. Oh, well. We’ll see what happens.

Adrien Trapped in AU-Land: (Adrienette, canon universe featuring AUs) My idea is based off of a writing prompt submitted by @graaythekwami on the @miraculousfanworks Discord server: AU where all the characters wake up in a different AU every chapter, fully remembering what happened in the last AU. My idea is for Chat Noir to get hit by an akuma (probably named Escapist or something equally dumb ^.^) who traps Adrien in a series of alternate realities (AUs) until he realizes his feelings for Marinette and manages to break free.

L’Amour de Loin: (Lukadrien, post-Papillon defeat, Félix wingman) I did a sneak peek for this here. This was one of the two “Winter Lukadrien Pieces” mentioned on my last status update. Adrien is living in London with his aunt and cousin three years after Papillon’s defeat and arrest. He’s in rough shape and hasn’t kept in touch with anyone from Paris. One day, he gets a text from Luka out of the blue, and they rekindle their friendship. Félix acts as wingman to ensure that it turns into something more.

Adrienette Hanahaki: Awhile ago I did an ask game about a trope I’d like to try writing, and the one I came up with was Adrien with Hanahaki disease (The one where you start coughing up flower petals due to unrequited love making flowers grow inside your lungs). I’ve been thinking about it, and I’ve decided I’d like to actually write this story. My basic outline is: Adrien starts showing symptoms, and Gabriel badgers him about whom he’s in love with, and Adrien just blurts out, “Marinette!” And Gabriel threatens Marinette into dating Adrien, and they start fake dating but then fall in love.

Happenstance and Magic: Marichat May 2019. Marinette and Chat Noir adopt kittens together, and Adrien tries to get Marinette to see that he’s not perfect but still a worthwhile person deserving of her love.

I’ve been thinking about this one, and I think I’m going to cut the number of prompts I actually use. Once I’m done with the other stories, I want to sit down and make a more thorough outline of what I want the story to be and which prompts I’m going to use to get me there.

The Seduction of Adrien Agreste: This is part of the Springtime in Wonderland (Daisy/Jabberwocky) series. It deals with Luka and Adrien experimenting with physical intimacy to see if they can reach a compromise where Luka and (asexual) Adrien are both comfortable and have their needs met.

Things Currently on the Backburner:

The Rejects Club: Predominantly Marichat with Adrienette. Chat Noir and Marinette unexpectedly grow very close very fast as they open up to one another after Marinette overhears Adrien seemingly dismissing her as a romantic prospect. Identity shenanigans at farcical levels ensue.

I can’t really deal with Rejects right now. I’m feeling super overwhelmed by basic life stuff, so I don’t really have the mental or emotional energy to put into a story where I don’t know how many more chapters there will be until the end. I’m thinking that what I have planned will take at least another one or two hundred thousand words. This thing is just so massive, and I’m not in good enough mental heath to deal with it right now.

Springtime in Wonderland: Yeah, no. See the paragraph directly above. This is another one that’s going to take another couple hundred thousand words to complete, and I just don’t have the stamina in me right now. I’d rather focus on smaller projects that actually feel attainable. I’m trying not to burn myself out.

And that’s it for the moment. I’m sure I’ll come up with plenty of other stuff between now and the next time I do a status update post, but is there anything that you’re particularly interested in? Let me know what you’re thinking.

Thoughts? Feelings? Suggestions? Opinions? ^.^

[2manyfandoms2count]

I love you (not) - Chapter 12

Today on I love you (not), Adrienette makes an appearance and our dearest protagonists have feeling epiphanies. We're only halfway through the fic though, so everything isn't solved. After the mutually unrequited half, we're about to enter the pining half. Hope you enjoy!

@marichatmay

First | Previous | AO3 | Next

---

Chapter 12: In which youuuu can feeeeel the loveeee toniiiight

Marinette’s gaze wandered around the room as she sipped on her sparkling apple juice, her foot absentmindedly tapping to the beat of the music. The party was in full swing, and so far, everything seemed to be going swimmingly.

Her classmates were laughing, even Chloé and Lila (separately, of course), hanging out in small groups around the buffet, or showing off their moves on the dancefloor. No sign of an Akuma anywhere. Everything was perfect.

A slight frown creased Marinette’s forehead as she realised that there was one person whom she hadn’t seen yet, and she was starting to wonder what was keeping him when she sensed a presence behind her.

"Hey, Marinette." Adrien almost managed to sneak up on her, but he was less discrete than Chat Noir. She turned around, a bright smile gracing her lips. There he was.

Adrien's breath caught as he took in exactly how pretty Marinette looked in her dress. He’d known she'd been bound to look good in it; firstly, because Marinette was always pretty, it was an undeniable fact; secondly, the dress had been very pretty on the mannequin, too, so really it would have been a feat for it not to be nice when worn.

Yet nothing could've prepared him for the synergistic effect of both, the garment falling gracefully on her, hugging her in all the right places.

"You look... Amazing, did you make that dress yourself?" He blushed as he averted his gaze to meet her eyes. He noticed she was wearing her hair half up, which really was a lovely look on her.

"Thanks, and yes," Marinette's cheeks pinked as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I was aiming to not be overdressed, but..." Her eyes went back to the open space. Adrien saw that even though a couple of their classmates had thrown on a blazer, most had showed up in their usual attire.

"You're perfect." He smiled, before tutting. "The others are underdressed. We had a planned party for once, and yet... Really, people could have made a bit more of an effort."

Marinette turned towards him. Adrien’s hands were casually buried in his pockets. He wasn’t wearing his usual jeans, but a suit, darker than the one she’d always seen him wear. "At least you seem to have gotten the memo. New suit?"

"Good eye. It's part of Father's next collection." He grinned.

"We're so lucky to get an exclusive preview." Her hand hovered midway between them, hesitant to touch the fabric.

"It's not entirely benevolent, though. I'm supposed to crash test it, to see if it withstands being worn." He adjusted his cufflinks. "Actually, would you do me the honour of dancing with me? Purely for experimental purposes, obviously." He bowed before her and winked.

"Of course." She giggled at his antics, an odd feeling of déjà vu nagging at her. She knew she was talking to Adrien, and yet… There was something about him tonight that made her think of a certain someone else. She brushed the thought away, blaming it on the dark suit, as she put her glass down and took his hand, following him to the dancefloor.

Adrien caught Nino's eye, and the latter nodded at him with a wide smile. He made an ok sign before changing the track.

“Time to shake things up in here, time to get a little rock’n roll!” he announced in his best DJ voice.

“Up for the challenge?” Adrien asked Marinette.

She nodded, mentally thanking Chat Noir for the refresher course he’d given her. He really had her back whatever the situation, huh?

They started swinging their arms to the rhythm; she remembered to trace hearts in the air to show professionalism. Then the rhythm picked up, and the show really started.

Adrien picked up the pace and Marinette smoothly followed, starting with easy figures; twirl in, twirl out, half-waltz, yoyo, hand exchange, double stroke. People looked on curiously as Marinette cocked an eyebrow at Adrien, daring him to level it up.

He smirked and lifted her briefly, resumed a couple of simple passes, then, as she spun back into his embrace, he dipped her. Somebody (probably Alya), hooted in the crowd.

“Ready for a flip?” He was slightly breathless, his hair a little dishevelled.

Marinette’s heart was beating quite fast and although she was flushed, she knew it was just from the exercise. The thought rattled her a bit.

“Show me what you got, Agreste.” She put on her most confident smile and he pulled her up. His hands dropped to her waist and he lifted her, throwing her in the air. Her flight lasted a couple of seconds, during which she didn’t hear their audience’s gasps, and then she was back in Adrien’s strong arms, cushioning her landing.

Cheers erupted around them as the song faded out, and they remained embraced, slightly panting from the dance.

“That was amazing, Marinette,” Adrien whispered in her ear, with a slightly disbelieving chuckle. He’d managed to catch her without the Miraculous suit’s help. The doubt had invaded his mind just as she’d left his arms, and he hoped she never knew how terrified he’d been of dropping her.

“Yeah,” she panted.

Suddenly the guitar solo of Toto’s Won't hold you back now echoed through the restaurant.

Adrien’s eyes met Nino’s, and his friend winked at him. A crazy idea crossed his mind. He’d enjoyed his time with Marinette so much over the past months. Dating her as Chat Noir was definitely a bad idea and he definitely had to put an end to it, but what if… What if he asked her out as Adrien? Yes, there’d still be that massive secret hanging between them, that he moonlit as one of Paris’ superheroes. But being on the other side of the mask, the one that got to talk to her every day without having to make up excuses as to why he was at her balcony, that could just turn around in his seat to tell her how beautiful she was, would make things so much easier.

If she’d fallen in love with Chat Noir, she’d technically already be in love with him, although he’d of course pull all the stops to make sure she felt as cherished as she deserved, and do his best to conceal the fact that her ex and her present boyfriend were actually the same person. He couldn’t deny that he’d thought about Marinette more than he’d had about Ladybug lately. This was the perfect opportunity to move on from his partner.

"Hey, it's our song." He commented, feeling his heartbeat pick up.

"O-our?" Marinette stammered, pulling away slightly from him.

"The one we danced to at Chloé's last party, remember?" He felt his cheeks warm up at the thought that he might have spoken out of turn, or worse, that she might have forgotten, when the memory regularly invaded his dreams. She’d seemed almost shocked at his choice of words.

"Oh, right." She gave him a small smile before moving a little closer to him.

It wasn’t exactly to snuggle up to him, although she supposed it probably looked like it, given Alya’s enthusiastic thumbs up she caught as they danced; she just needed to hide her face from him. Adrien led their steps, which was just as well since her overthinking brain was too busy trying to compute his words.

Was he... Making a move on her? She looked up and their eyes locked, his gaze softening as they did. He twirled her before catching her, holding her a little closer than before. She didn't mind.

Then he unexpectedly dipped her, and looked as if he was about to say something to her. His eyes were full of affection, like hers in almost all of the pictures of her looking at him that had been taken before a couple of months ago. She could almost feel the virtual pink bubbles that surrounded her.

She paled.

Maybe she was finally getting what she'd wanted since the first real conversation they'd had. Maybe this was it . But then why did it feel so… wrong? Why did her heart tell her to bolt? Why did she want to be in Chat Noir's arms at that precise moment?

"Marinette? Is everything ok?" Adrien pulled her up, a worried frown creasing his brow.

"It's just a bit warm, I haven't eaten much today. I'll just go and grab something from the buffet." She waved in its direction, putting up a brave smile to conceal her rattled state. What was it with Chat Noir invading her thoughts tonight? She needed to get a grip.

"Want me to come with you?" He really looked concerned, and she felt bad for worrying him.

"I’ll be fine, thanks. Keep testing out your suit." She patted his shoulder gently before heading off.

He watched her walk away, slightly disconcerted. He'd felt so confident that he'd be able to reproduce the unadulterated joy his friend had displayed when they'd danced in her room, yet somehow he seemed to have gone a step too far.

But then again... Maybe it all boiled down to who she'd been with then (well, who she’d known she was with).

He knew it wasn't a good idea. But he had to check his theory. His heart commanded it.

---

Marinette tried her best to act like a wallflower next to the buffet, something that might have worked better if she hadn't undisputedly been the prettiest girl in the room, and if she'd been standing near an actual wall and not a bay window. Those were Chat Noir's thoughts, anyway, as he watched her from outside, perched on his baton, holding back from knocking on the closest window just to see her sway gently to the rhythm of the music.

Then he saw her nibbling at her nails, confirming that something was troubling her.

She must have sensed that she was being watched, because she turned around before his fist could tap on the window. Their eyes met, and for a second she looked slightly surprised, a little taken aback, even, by his presence, before a smile bloomed on her lips. He could have sworn that she was relieved. He wished that he could've taken a picture of her at that exact moment.

“You really felt like you needed to patrol tonight?” She asked as she opened the window for him.

“Well, I know they say that the mice dance when the cat’s away, but this cat felt like it was missing out.” He pointed to himself and pouted.

“Poor kitty.” She scratched his neck. He almost let out a purr, but managed to hold it in.

“Anyway, I see a mouse that isn’t dancing, and I’d argue that’s a criminal offence.” He shot her a pointed look.

“It’s not like I haven’t danced already.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll have you know that we were quite a success.”

“I know, I was there.” He winked.

She  looked at her feet sheepishly, and he regretted his choice of words. He cleared his throat. “I was thinking, I think the rooftop’s empty, would you like to get out of here, maybe?”

“Please.” She grabbed a chair and helped herself up, climbing out of the window after checking nobody was looking. Chat pushed the window pane shut after she’d gotten on his lap and extended his baton upwards, letting go of her when they’d reached the top floor.

Marinette took a deep breath as she leaned on the railing, looking at the view. Dark, warning clouds had gathered on the horizon, but she only saw the full moon, standing unobstructed in the sky and reflecting in the pool.

The music was faintly audible from below. Marinette shuffled around to face Chat Noir.

“So… Since you were complaining about this mouse not dancing… How about you right that wrong?”

“‘Twould be my pleasure, princess.” He took her hand and guided her out.

“A waltz?” Marinette raised an eyebrow after the first couple of steps. “I thought they were passées .”

“I wouldn’t want you to have practised for nothing,” he said softly. “Plus, nobody’s here to judge us for being old-fashioned.”

She let out a content sigh as he gently pressed his cheek to her temple (they couldn’t dance cheek to cheek even with her kitten heels). She closed her eyes and revelled in the moment.

Gently swaying in the moonlight, Chat humming along to the music ( La vie en rose, probably a request from Juleka), it was like time had stopped, and she wished they could stay in this perfect bubble forever, one where she didn’t have to question her feelings, where she could just enjoy the moment.

Marinette felt something light land on her shoulder. Then on her nose.

Chat must have felt it too, because they both looked up. The moon was gone, hidden by stormy clouds. The rain’s pace picked up. They looked at each other, Marinette’s gaze questioning what they should do.

Chat Noir purred, afraid she’d let go of him. Marinette let out a crystalline laugh, an exquisite sound he knew he’d never grow tired of hearing.

She held him closer, eyes fluttering shut once more as she smiled, her cheek pressed to his chest, enjoying the gentle vibrations.

This was it. She was right where she wanted to be.

[missbugaboo]

That Other Guy (1)

"Why does it matter so much to you? What's so terrible about Adrien Agreste that you can't stand him as your competition – even though it changes absolutely nothing for you? What in magic's name makes him such a hateful rival?" Or, Chat Noir finally learns who Ladybug's dream guy is, but somehow, he's not pleased at all. For more reasons than one.

LadyNoir, Adrienette.

fanfiction.net / AO3

Next chapter

Chapter 1: An Equal Share of Luck

“Wait so are you telling me that the guy you’ve been talking about, the one that has been my oh-so-lucky rival for the past two and a half years, the one that has so successfully blocked each and every one of my tries to get close to you…

That this guy is Adrien – FREAKING – Agreste?!”

Ladybug froze in her spot. She was taken aback by the remark, certainly, but the aggression ringing in her partner's voice was even more startling. She turned around slowly, expecting to see a predictably  petulant expression on his face – the irritated glare of a child who was once again refused the toy he believed he had a full right to. She knew there was more to it, of course; knew that behind that mask of sulkiness was the real pain of unrequited affection, even if it was so heavily coated by the petty jealousy that was also undoubtedly there.

It turned out that even that knowledge had not been enough. It had failed to prepare her for the new, solemn look of true hurt and ire she saw now. It was suddenly clear that he was no longer jealous, not only so, anyway – and she almost winced when she realised that right now, Cat Noir was judging her most severely, and the outcome clearly wasn’t in her favour.

The glare he was giving her was of disappointment before anything else; she supposed it would have been piteous, too, had he not been so very angry with her.

And by the look of it, he was furious.

“I can’t believe it,” she heard him mutter as he rubbed a gloved hand against his face. “Of all people for you to pick, it had to be him.”

“And why does it matter so much to you, Chat?” Ladybug responded eventually, feeling the anger rise in her own chest but still trying to keep her cool, for both of their sakes. “What’s so terrible about Adrien Agreste that you can’t stand him as your competition – even though it changes absolutely nothing for you? What in magic’s name makes him such a hateful rival? You knew there was someone else, I told you that as soon as I realised how serious you were about your feelings... Because believe it or not, the last thing I’ve ever wanted is to hurt you. And yet here you are, making a scene just because you don’t like the guys actual name!”

“There is much more to dislike about him than his name, trust me,” Chat drawled in response; a new derisive note resounded in his voice. “What I really hate about this entire situation though is the fact that you would reject me, again and again, for someone you don’t even know. Call me crazy, call me weak, but learning about that hurts more than any cataclysm I could possibly put on myself.”

Their eyes met again, Chat’s cold gaze once again rendering her speechless. She didn’t know how to answer him; she doubted there was anything she could say that would not rile him up even further – something she was not at all willing to witness – but at the same time, she didn’t want to argue with him. Or to add to the pain he was undeniably feeling.

Still, there was little she could do if he insisted on discussing the subject in such an aggressive manner, which, again, would not change as long as she did nothing.

“And what if I do know him?” she asked weakly at last, praying inwardly that the suggestion would not add insult to injury. She felt the first tears gather in the back of her eyes, but she ignored them, determined to keep her emotions at bay until this horrible conversation was fully over.

To be fair, she wasn’t even sure when it all began in the first place. They’d been patrolling the city as they always did on Wednesdays, aware that, for some reason, this was when the late night akuma possessions usually happened. They’d been jumping from one building to the other; her, talking about her own mid-week exhaustion, while he’d tried to cheer her up with his terrible puns and absolutely ridiculous attempts at flirting.

All in all, a typical behaviour on a most typical patrol.

It was then that they’d come across another huge poster of Gabriel’s new teen-oriented collection, featuring none other than the main designer’s young son – which really was just another unsurprising occurrence. The city of Paris was once again covered with Adrien’s photographs, much as it had been nearly two years prior. Though, fortunately for all, the new advertisement didn’t cause half as much excitement as the aforementioned cologne ad, something for which Ladybug was almost as grateful as the modelling teenager himself.

Ladybug had her reasons to be proud, having resisted the temptation to ogle the posters at any given opportunity, reducing her obsession to several replays of the TV version of the ad alongside a few discreet glances at billboards that adorned the streets.

Of course, she just had to give one of those glances now; and of course, Cat Noir noticed it at once.

It didn’t seem particularly dangerous at first. Sure, she knew he would tease her, but then again, he always did whenever another boy was concerned. It didn’t matter who the said boy was or how much of a threat he really was – he taunted her about Luka in the same way he joked about Nino and Max, unaware that she knew all three of them and that not all of the gentlemen were completely indifferent towards her.

There was no reason why his remarks about Adrien should lead to anything more serious than that.

The heroine was proven wrong quickly enough, however. As one word led to another, his comments changed from humorous to earnest, and soon he was asking her questions she had no means of answering. She had no idea why he was so adamant this time, why her thoughts on Adrien suddenly seemed to mean so much more than her opinions about the boys that had been the topic of their talks in the past.

All she knew was that, somehow, he had managed to put two and two together and figure out the secret she’d been so determined to keep.

And as stated before, the discovery clearly made him go nuts.

"Chat? What if I actually know him?" she repeated hesitantly when she'd realised he was not willing to grace her with his answer without another prompt on her part. She saw him bite his lip nervously, before he bowed his head and shook it and let out a strange hollow laugh that was so very unlike him.

"Forgive me for being so blunt, but the last time I checked, Adrien Agreste did not have too many friends to brag about," he responded eventually. "A few, perhaps; but certainly not enough of them not miss you out in that crowd... And since I know he's got more than a soft spot for you, he sure as hell would have reached out for you and made that dream relationship of yours a reality before you could blink your pretty lashes at him twice. Even being the fool he is, he sure wouldn't have missed a chance like that."

"Stop calling him that," Ladybug warned him, only to realise that the unexpected cracking in her voice made it sound more like a plea than anything else. "Even if you have some scraps of information like that, which I'm certain is just some groundless gossip, you clearly don't know him. And you don't know me either if you think I'd lie to you about any of this. Why would I lie?"

"To save face, perhaps? So that you don't have to admit that your grand true love is really nothing but a shallow celebrity crush, aimed at a boy you could not have met save for the few times when he was stupid enough to get himself caught by some akuma or other. But it's too late for that; too late to fool me, to stop me from realising that all my efforts mean nothing compared to a pretty face and a wealthy background. Maybe it's better that I finally know it now."

"You don't know anything," she objected heatedly, no longer caring about the mist that covered her eyes and indifferent to how she must look to him right now. "You don't know me. You think Adrien would have to recognise me in my civilian form but that's just it: I'm not Ladybug in my real life. I've been telling you that for as long as I can remember, and it was only your stubbornness that kept you from understanding it. I'm nothing like the girl you know; I'm clumsy and insecure, so much that I can't even muster up the courage to talk to the guy I like without stumbling over my words, much less speak of any of my feelings to him."

She swallowed painfully as the first tear fell down her cheek. She was still gazing at him, willing him to look back at her once more, so he could at least see how genuine her present confession was. He didn't; and as painful as it was, she realised that there was nothing she could do but go on.

"You're so sure that I can't be close to him, and maybe you're right. Maybe I’m really not, because honestly, why would someone like him even look at someone like me? I'm sure that you could meet me in real life and you wouldn’t pay any more mind than you would to any other passer-by on the street. But that's the thing about Adrien: he does notice people, as insignificant as they may seem. He's kind and selfless, ignoring  his fame and his wealth for the sake of his friends, treating his classmates as equals when he easily could have been yet another Chloe. He could have been conceited and self-absorbed, using his father's position to wiggle out of responsibilities in the same way she does.

"I know it still may not be enough to convince you or even if it is, it won’t change the way you're feeling or your opinion of me, but that's the truth. That's the boy I fell in love with over two years ago: not the model the world knows but the honest, considerate classmate I've been blessed to meet myself. The boy who'd go to any lengths to become my friend, even when I could hardly form a sentence while talking to him, or when I confused him with my outbursts or made him deal with my crazy, ever-changing moods... And yes, he does see me as his friend and nothing more; but you more than anyone should know that this is hardly a reason to stop caring for the person you love."

It was her turn to look away then, as she reached for her yo-yo and readied herself to depart. She didn’t see the way her companion's head had jerked up at the sudden silence, his eyes wide with astonishment as he searched her face and figure, as if expecting her to pick up her speech where she'd left it.

She did no such thing however, confident in her belief that all that could matter had already been said. With the magic device in her hand, she looked as if she was going to leave at any given second and yet, it was clear that something still prevented her from going.

Whether it was the feeling of Chat's stare boring into her back or the silent, only half-realised plea that he was sending in her direction, she had no way of telling.

Whatever it was, it made her turn around and face him at last, their eyes meeting for the very last time that night.

With a heavy sigh and a far heavier heart, she said, "We've been taught that our deal with fortune is that of the opposite kinds – I obtain or the luck while you get none. The truth is, when it comes to love, I'm no more lucky than you are, Cat. The only difference is that you were always brave enough to speak of it out loud."

And with that she was gone, fading into the night like a phantom in the mist, leaving him alone on a rooftop that suddenly seemed terribly cold.

[mikauzoran]

SOS: Send Prompts

Boooooored. 

Send me a prompt and a pairing. Or just a pairing. Or just a prompt/line of dialogue/situation/scenario. Whatever.

I’ll probably do, like, five.

I got to the next big plot chapter in Serendipity, and I don’t feel like working on it, so I’m looking for a way to feel productive while I procrastinate.

Pairings I usually do are Marichat, Adrienette, Lukadrien, and Lukadrienette, but I can do others like LuXY or maybe JuleRose or...I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out if anyone requests anything. ^.^

Thanks in advance!

The Results:

(If you’re waiting for one in particular, you can follow the Productive Procrastination Prompt Giveaway series here on AO3.)

Prompt One: (Adrienette) Under Your Spell -  In which Adrien and Marinette run a potions shop together, and Marinette spilling a love potion on them is the catalyst they need to confess their feelings.

Prompt Two: (DJ Wifi, Adrino, Alyanette, OT4) Getting the Gang Together - When Nino and Alya witness Ladybug and Chat Noir detransforming, they come up with a scheme to win over their crushes and create the OT4 they’ve always dreamed of.

Prompt Three: (Lukadrien) Better Than Expected - Things Luka did not anticipate happening today: jumping into the Seine, having his underwear choices critiqued by his crush, teaching Adrien to do laundry, and having his wildest dreams come true. In which Adrien shows off his skills at basketball to his own detriment and masters the art of laundry-fu as well as tonsil hockey.

Prompt Four: (Marichat) Respite Amidst the Storm - When Adrien feels alone and unloved on the anniversary of his mother’s disappearance, he goes as Chat Noir to Marinette for movies and snuggles, honest conversations, love confessions, kisses, an identity reveal, and the promise of happily ever after.

Prompt Five: (Lukadrien/Luka Noir) My Sanctuary - When Adrien stumbles upon the secrets his father has kept hidden, he goes to the one person who can make him feel grounded, safe, and loved.

Prompt Six: (Luka Noir/Lukadrien) Missed Opportunities and Second Chances - In which Luka is tired of being friends with benefits, forces Chat Noir’s hand, and ends up dating Adrien.

Prompt Seven: (Adrienette, Adrino, Alyadrien-ish, OT4-ish) Snuggle Party - Nino discovers that his best friend is extremely touch-starved and organizes a snuggle party with Alya and Marinette for Adrien. At the sleepover, Alya schemes to get Marinette and Adrien alone, resulting in Marinette’s love confession, Adrien accidentally outing himself as Chat Noir, and Alya’s Adrienette and Lady Noir ships both sailing.

Prompt Eight: (Adrienette, slight Mariblanc) Very Good Friend Indeed - Marinette discovers Chat Noir’s identity and sets out be the best friend to Adrien that she can in hopes that destiny will take its course and bring them together naturally. In the process, she stoops to cat puns and bribing Adrien with food, movie nights, and video games.

Prompt Nine: (Adrienette) Justification - As Adrien struggles to find his footing in a post-Papillon world where his father is the supervillain he’s spent the past five years fighting, his mother is (for all intents and purposes) dead, and he himself is a sentimonster, Marinette is determined to prove that she loves him not in spite of but because of who he is.

Prompt Ten: (Marichat) No Vacancy - Adrien has had enough of being unloved and unwanted. When he finally runs away, Chat Noir unexpectedly finds a new home with Marinette and her family and discovers his feelings for his friend are stronger than anticipated over a late-night baking lesson.

Prompt Eleven: (Platonic Alyanette, Platonic Alyabug, Background Adrienette, Implied Future Ladrien) Drunk Ladybug on My Balcony? Yeah. This is Fine. -  Alya takes it in stride when Ladybug shows up on her balcony drunk and complaining about her unrequited love for Adrien Agreste. She puts her own feelings about discovering Ladybug’s identity aside to be a good friend and then makes it her mission to set Ladybug up with Adrien and break the infuriating love square wide open because it was high time somebody did.

Prompt Twelve: (Platonic Adrino, Adrienette) Kiss the Cook - Nino teaches Adrien to cook, and Adrien uses his newfound powers to make a romantic dinner for Marinette in order to confess his feelings again to find out where they stand with one another now that their identities are no longer secret.

Prompt Thirteen: (Marichat) - Her Good Opinion - 

“I only seriously flirt when I’m in love with someone.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, losing patience. “Chat Noir, you flirt with me all the time.”

Abruptly, he fell silent, and when he didn’t reply, she turned to look at him expectantly.

He was staring at her with a strange expression, a mix of pain, sorrow, regret, and embarrassment.

“Oh my gosh,” she whispered. 

When Marinette discovers that Chat Noir has fallen in love with her on both sides of the mask, she has a hard choice to make…except that the answer is easy because she can no longer deny that she loves him too.

Prompt Fourteen: (Lukadrien, Luka Noir, Luka Blanc) - Where the Heart Is - A misunderstanding with Luka on top of discovering his father’s secrets leads to Adrien’s akumatization. It’s up to Luka to prove his love to Chat Blanc and save him from the darkness inside of himself.

Prompt Fifteen: (Queerplatonic Alyadrino, Pre-OT4) - What You Need - When Nino discovers how touched-starved Adrien is, he vows to do whatever it takes to get Adrien used to being loved on so that his body stops overreacting to even basic affection. Alya helps.

Prompt Sixteen: (Lady Noir) - 

[ao3feed-ladynoir]

Chicken

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2rcEXwD

by Baneismydragon

“Chicken. It’s a game… sort of. More like a contest. You try to see how far you can flirt with someone until you get scared and have to stop.”

When Adrien finds himself losing (very badly) in a friendly game of chicken with his best friend, he is determined to find a way to even the score. He wasn't expecting for things to spiral quickly of control, or for his flirtations to go well past playing a game.

Words: 4224, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Adrien Agreste, Nino Lahiffe, Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug)

Relationships: Adrien Agreste/Nino Lahiffe, Chat Noir/Nino Lahiffe, Some background ALyanette, also implied unrequited Adrienette, But mostly just lots of Adrino/Ninoir

Additional Tags: Humor, Romance, Adrien is dense, Fluff

June 12, 2017 at 09:51PM read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2rcEXwD